My child having tracking issues during eye exam, is this something to be concerned with?

JAN 14, 2013

Question:

My 14-year-old daughter had trouble tracking during a routine eye exam. Her eyes jump ahead before the object is there and then she corrects. Our optometrist has referred us to an ophthalmologist. Can this be the result of a neurological disorder?

Answer:

This is an unlikely pattern from most neurological conditions. However it was enough of a variance from the expected pattern, that further evaluation was recommended. Why did she have the exam in the first place? Truly routine or for a problem? It is best to have her evaluated by an ophthalmologist—preferably a strabismus (expert in eye motions) specialist.